Testing a 1050

[Smack2k]

Hey,

 

I have 3 1050 Drives I want to test with an 800XL to possibly sell once verified, but I dont have any floppy disk games available to put in.

 

Are there any tests / things I can do to test the drive without a game / software available? Something to Download?

 

Format Test?

 

Looking for some options here to ensure these are all working as they should.

 

Finally, what kind of things should I look out for if the drives arent working for some reason?

 

Thanks!!

[Rybags]

If you have an emulated disk system like SIO2PC, SIO2SD etc then you can just download a Dos image.

Next best is if you have an Atari tape drive, get a utility like WAV2CAS and grab my emergency tape based Dos, download here http://atariage.com/forums/topic/91182-putting-software-on-a-cassette/?do=findComment&comment=1110134

 

Or you can do a format by means of a type in Basic program which calls the OS disk handler. I don't have anything handy for that ATM though.

[Smack2k]

I do have an SIO2PC utility, but how do use that to test my 1050 drives?

 

I know I can open up Disk Images and what not with the SIO2PC, but I want to test out the 1050 drive somehow to verify its working properly / doesnt have an issue

 

Can I format a regular DD Disk in it? If so, what is the script for that?

[Rybags]

If you have SIO2PC then you can just mount a Dos image in D1: with it.

Set your real 1050 as drive 2 via the switches.

 

Then you can format disks, write Dos to it, do binary saves etc. There is no script, just use Dos 2.5 as it's menu based.

[Smack2k]

Sorry for not knowing, but how do I go about doing the mounting of the Image / etc?

 

How do I chain them together as the SIO2PC only has the one SIO port on it, and how do I go about mounting the images?

 

Appreciate any documentation / how-to's you could point me to as I have all the stuff, just dont know how to use it!

 

EDIT - I have the classic SIO2PC with the APE software...

Edited February 1, 2016 by Smack2k

[Smack2k]

OK, I found some documentation on the setup of the device and the APE install, easy enough...

 

What do I do in the APE software to push a disk image to the 1050 drive that would be drive 1 with the SIO2PC as drive 2 (the doc says to make the SIO2PC last in the chain)?

 

Does the DD Disk need to be formatted first?

 

Within the software, are there options for me to take a disk image and push it to and be written on disk on the 1050?

 

Thanks for all the help as I am just getting started with this after having the hardware / drives / SIO2PC for some time now....

[Kyle22]

OK, I'll try a simplified step by step.

 

Set your 1050 as Drive #2 with switches on the back (read your 1050 book).

 

Download a disk image of a DOS. Here is DOS 2.5: http://seriouscomputerist.altervista.org/media/atr/DOS%202.5.atr

 

Save this file to your computer.

 

Run the APE program and make sure your COM / USB port is configured properly (refer to APE documentation).

 

Within APE, click on Load next to the number 1 near the top left of the APE screen, and browse for the file you just downloaded.

 

Boot the Atari, it should show a DOS menu or say "Ready". If it says "Ready", then type "DOS" (without the quotes) and press the Return key.

 

Now you should see the DOS menu.

 

Make sure 1050 is turned on, and a good, blank disk is in it.

 

Type I Return

 

Type 2 Return

 

Type Y Return

 

If that completes with no errors, then try a disk directory by typing A Return 2 Return

 

It should say 707 free sectors.

 

There are much better DOS's out there, but DOS 2.5 is simple.

 

Hope this helps.

[Smack2k]

Thank you for that, simplified is right up my alley!

 

Stupid question for you and I can give this a shot.

 

You said to set the 1050 as Drive #2....that would make the SIO2PC set as Drive #1...

 

How do I hook it up with the 800XL - SIO2PC - 1050 with the SIO Cables? With the SIO2PC having only one SIO port, how do I daily chain it and the others together to have all 3 in line?

 

I am sure I am missing something dumb, so please cure my stupidity!!

[Rybags]

The 1050 as any other real drive has 2 ports. Have it as closest to the Atari, plug SIO2PC into the other 1050 port.

[Smack2k]

OK, so go Atari - 1050 - SIO2PC but put the 1050 as drive two...got it...didnt know if the order or chaining from the Atari 800xl mattered

[russg]

OK, so go Atari - 1050 - SIO2PC but put the 1050 as drive two...got it...didnt know if the order or chaining from the Atari 800xl mattered

Using SIO2PC in drive one, boot a DOS (2, 2.5). Then format a floppy in the 1050 and write DOS files. If it will do that, it is good.

[1050]

Daisy chaining set up is not how you set up a drive number, they aren't related in other words. A device can be at the end of the daisy chain and still be device number one for example. Physically you want the single SIO cable connected APE device at the end of the daisy chain and the 1050's two SIO ports allow this physically to happen, both 1050 SIO ports are the same and it doesn't matter which is used for in or out.

 

The drive itself needs to be set to be drive #2 by the black and white switches thru the port in the back of the drive, this information is to be found in the DOS manual. PC software selects APE to be device #1 and in general each device in a daisy chain is configured to assume a device number which can be in any order desired except in special cases. This is a special case, APE needs to be #1, that makes the 1050 drive #2.

 

Have you any disks? You can not use HD disks at all, they don't work. You must use MD or Double density disks instead used for the 360K IBM 5.25 drive, disks for the 1.2 meg 5.25 IBM drive are HD and will not work for you.

 

A standard stock 1050 can not do DD format layout either read or write, it can only do single density or enhanced density sometimes called dual density but this is NOT double density. Unless your 1050s are modified with a Happy board or US Doubler or some other mod, you can't do double density format layout. You still need the DD disks themselves however as they also do single sided 90K SD and 130K ED formats as well as single sided 180K Double Density layout, but only when a modded drive is used.

 

APE software running on the PC will boot your Atari for you and thru it you will see the 1050 as drive #2. But the Atari needs it set to actually be drive #2. APE is always drive #1 on the Atari. You can copy from drive one to drive two thru the Atari and/or you can push an image file onto drive 2 thru the PC software as well as read real Atari disks in drive 2 to be saved as ATR image files using the PC software.

[+Stephen]

Mostly correct. APE can be any drive # from 1 through 8. You can use APE as drives 2 through 7 and a real floppy as drive #1 just by leaving the "slot" for drive 1 empty. In fact, in APE, any drive slot that doesn't contain a folder mapping or an ATR image is just seen as non existent drive by the Atari.

[1050]

Thanks for those finer corrections, Stephen. The devil is in the details and I don't really know the details. I'm obviously suffering from the misconception that APE needs to be drive #1. I only thought that was a necessity in order to boot the Atari from APE, so I could read the APE documentation myself and learn something. I learn something new every day around here and I like that.

[Smack2k]

Thanks for the details...I am gonna test this tomorrow night finally and see how it goes...Is the Black or the White the setting for Drive #2 when I set the 1050 drive?

 

 

Also a blank disk is mentioned in the steps above..I have a ton of DD disks but I think they may be fomatted for 360K IBM Drives, do I need to do anything to the disk before going over the steps that Kyle22 gave me?

Edited February 4, 2016 by Smack2k

[Kyle22]

Switch settings:

 

D1: both left (only black visible)

D2: white left, black right

D3: both right (only black visible)

D4: black left, white right

 

You can format over the IBM formatted disk (it will erase anything previously on the disk).

[Smack2k]

Thanks, testing tonight and will provide my results...

 

Thanks for all the help so far.

[Smack2k]

Tested two of my three 1050's and both did the same thing

 

The drives appeared to have formatted properly. Both would start the process, run for about a minute or so writing and then stop. They would start again and do the same thing two more times before finishing and the DOS menu options were available again. Once the finished, I ran the disk directory I get 739 Free Sectors, not the 707 mentioned above. Is that OK? Same results for both drives

 

Gonna get the Third out of its box and test it out but wanted to know if these two sounded right?

[Kyle22]

Well, I forgot about the DOS 2.5 enhanced density mode (I never use it, ever). Format should have left about 1027 sectors free. The format single option leaves 707 sectors free.

 

I don't know where 739 came from. IIRC, even with DOS.SYS and DUP.SYS on the disk you'll get 948 or so free (628 in single).

 

While I'm remembering what I forgot, please correct the above message on how to get a directory. That's A <return> 2: <return>. I forgot the colon.

[Smack2k]

Both came back with 739 after I ran them again this evening...so I am assuming something could be wrong? I didnt get any errors or anything and DOS returned to a menu

 

I did only choose 2 and not 2:, could that have made the difference?

[Kyle22]

2 would have listed files on D1: named 2, 2: lists the directory on D2:. I use SpartaDOS-X, so I'm a little out of practice on DOS 2.5.

 

Try the Format Single option and see if you get 707 on D2:

[1050]

I did only choose 2 and not 2:, could that have made the difference?

Absolutely confirmed here, yes it does make a difference. You should get +999 free sectors with DOS 2.5 format if you use the colon. I'll assume by some goofyness the 739 count is coming from just one VTOC as there are two VTOC sectors with DOS 2.5 - how or why it does this might be a 'feature' and not a bug?

 

I'm concerned about the three tries to get a format done though, the drives should do this in one go and not need to start over two times. That usually indicates quite some trouble with write or read processes. You might need to clean the heads with 95% rubbing alcohol. The good news is that they do finish the job eventually and otherwise seem to work.

[Smack2k]

I can clean the heads of the drive....do I just take the top off and the head is there to clean or is there more involved in the take apart to get to the head?

 

I enjoy things like that, so let me know and I will dive in!

[1050]

You pretty much described it. The head itself will look like a glass lens mounted in a black plastic sled on rails. The critical part is the very peak of the dome where two lines meet one. Should use 95% rubbing alcohol and it's not that common, but one can also use WD-40 with a lot of elbow grease and time rubbing the Q-tip across the head. Most will already have WD-40 and some time spent with it will give far better results than days spent with the typical 50% rubbing alcohol - the 95% is seriously that much better for this particular job. And WD-40 does a perfect job, it just takes the longest time for it to dissolve the nasty on there, two minutes minimum, I go for 5 by a clock. Lift the felt pressure pad arm during this of course, I often bunch up some paper towel, stuff that in the arm hinge, and hold the arm away so the felt doesn't contact head cleaner.

 

Keep us posted, did the colon solve your free sector count issue?

[BillC]

I don't know about elsewhere but in Canada most pharmacies carry 95+% IPA as well as the 70%(AKA rubbing alcohol) variety.